Liberia: Grand Gedeh Youth Group Applauds President Weah for Pardoning Kinsmen

Monrovia – The Revolutionary Youth Alliance of Grand Gedeh County, a youth group of the county, has praised President George Weah for granting executive clemency to nine of their kinsmen who they say was wrongly sentenced to life imprisonment during the regime of former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.

President Weah used his executive power to release the last three men of Grand Gedeh County on December 25, 2019, from Monrovia prison.

Addressing journalists in Monrovia recently, the chairman of the group George P. Carr called on his fellow kinsmen to be good citizens and change the narratives of their county. 

“The Revolutionary Youth and Students Alliance of Grand Gedeh County on behalf of the youths, students, marketeers, hunters, farmers, county leaders and the entire people of Grand Gedeh County extents our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to President George Weah for the released of those nine Grand Gedeans who have being incarcerated for over eight years,” Carr said.

In 2011, state security officers under the former Liberian leader arrested and detained 18 Grand Gedeans for what the government termed as cross broader attack after post-election violence in Ivory Coast between loyalists to former President Lauren Gbagbo and current President Alassane Ouattara.

After the arrest of the 18 Grand Gedeans, four were released because of a lack of evidence.

But the Revolutionary Youth Alliance of Grand Gedeh County says that was bias on the side of former President Sirleaf.

Many Grand Gedeans at the time expressed dissatisfaction that the mercenary trial of several citizens hailing from the southeastern county standing trial in connection with the cross border attack along with Liberia- Ivory Coast border was politically motivated.

President Weah executive clemency came at a time when a mass anti-government protest was gaining support from many Liberians.